In the first of what will be a series of endorsements in congressional races, the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration has endorsed Congressman Nick Lampson (D-TX) and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) for releection. Lampson represents the Texas 22nd District and Giffords represents the Arizona 8th District.
In his years as a member of Congress, Nick Lampson has emerged as one of the strongest supporters of space exploration in Washington. In particular, he has been a leader of the bi-partisan coalition that is seeking to obtain an additional $1 billion to $2 billion for NASA's budget in order to accelerate the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Ares rocket, so as to shorten the gap between the last flight of the Shuttle and the first flight of Orion from five years to three. He has close ties to the space advocacy movement, regularly appearing at conferences and other events. It is very likely that he will be named as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics during the next session of Congress.
Lampson's opponent, Pete Olson, is also a strong supporter of space exploration. But he lacks Lampson's long experience and track record on the issue. Furthermore, because he will likely be named Chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Lampson will be in a much stronger position to positively influence space policy than Olson would be.
Although still a freshman, Gabrielle Giffords has already made a name for herself as a champion of the space program. She has a strong personal connection to space exploration in the person of her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, who recently commanded the Space Shuttle Discovery on its mission to the International Space Station. Like Lampson, she has worked hard to secure additional funding for NASA in order to accelerate the development of Orion and Ares. As a member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, she is positioned to play an increasingly important role in determining space policy.
Giffords's opponent, Tim Bee, has not demonstrated any particular interest in space exploration as an issue. His campaign did not respond to the Committee's requests for information.
The coming years will see increasingly severe pressures on the federal budget and Congress will doubtless be tempted to reduce funding for space exploration a a result. It is therefore critical that those members of Congress who are champions of the space program, such as Congressman Lampson and Congresswoman Giffords, are returned to Congress in order to fight for a fully-funded space agency.
These two members of Congress are great champions of space exploration and the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration wholeheartedly endorses them.
Stay tuned for more announcements of endorsements in congressional races over the coming months. In order to maximize support for candidates who will support a strong American space program, contribute to the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration at our website: http://www.committee4spaceadvocacy.org/. Every dollar you give helps increase support for a robust and comprehensive American space program.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Recent Congressional Action on Space Exploration
Earlier this week, by the overwhelming margin of 409 to 15, the House of Representatives approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2008. This legislation not only authorizes a substantial increase to the space agency's budget, including an additional $1 billion to accelerate the development of the Orion spacecraft and Ares I rocket, but calls for an extra Shuttle flight to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.
The massive majority this bill received is a clear indication that the House of Representatives continues to strongly support the long-range plan for NASA to return astronauts to the Moon and then prepare a human expedition to Mars. Even Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), who has been the most public foe of human spaceflight in Congress, voted to approve the measure.
On the other side of the Capitol Building, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), has repeated her call for an additional $1 billion for NASA's budget. Senator Milkulski, one of the strongest defenders of space exploration in Congress, has attempted to achieve this regularly in recent years. These funds would reimburse the space agency for the costs of returning the Space Shuttle to flight after the Columbia disaster, and would serve the same purpose as the additional $1 billion called for by the House legislation- allowing NASA to accelerate the development of the Orion and Ares.
Between the scheduled retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 and the scheduled first flight of Orion in 2015, the United States will lack the ability to launch astronauts into space. Therefore, during this time gap, we will be dependent upon the goodwill of Russia to send astroanuts to the International Space Station. By accelerating the development of the Orion and Ares, we can reduce this time gap from five years to three years.
These two events show that there is strong bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate for a strong American space program. It has been a good week for space exploration in our nation's capital, but many challenges remain ahead. In order to ensure that progress continues to be made, we must ensure that congressional supporters of space exploration are returned to Congress in this year's elections. Stay tuned for the announcements of candidate endorsements from the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration.
The massive majority this bill received is a clear indication that the House of Representatives continues to strongly support the long-range plan for NASA to return astronauts to the Moon and then prepare a human expedition to Mars. Even Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), who has been the most public foe of human spaceflight in Congress, voted to approve the measure.
On the other side of the Capitol Building, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), has repeated her call for an additional $1 billion for NASA's budget. Senator Milkulski, one of the strongest defenders of space exploration in Congress, has attempted to achieve this regularly in recent years. These funds would reimburse the space agency for the costs of returning the Space Shuttle to flight after the Columbia disaster, and would serve the same purpose as the additional $1 billion called for by the House legislation- allowing NASA to accelerate the development of the Orion and Ares.
Between the scheduled retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 and the scheduled first flight of Orion in 2015, the United States will lack the ability to launch astronauts into space. Therefore, during this time gap, we will be dependent upon the goodwill of Russia to send astroanuts to the International Space Station. By accelerating the development of the Orion and Ares, we can reduce this time gap from five years to three years.
These two events show that there is strong bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate for a strong American space program. It has been a good week for space exploration in our nation's capital, but many challenges remain ahead. In order to ensure that progress continues to be made, we must ensure that congressional supporters of space exploration are returned to Congress in this year's elections. Stay tuned for the announcements of candidate endorsements from the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
White House Opposes NASA Authorization Act of 2008
Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget released a "Statement of Administration Policy" which announced that the Bush Administration was opposing House Resolution 6063, the NASA Authorization Act of 2008. This piece of legislation is expected to be voted on today.
The Houston Chronicle has run an informative article on the statement.
According to the statement, the primary reason the Bush administration is opposing the bill is because it mandates additional Shuttle flights to the International Space Station, including one to install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The administration is concerned that this will delay the scheduled 2010 retirement of the Shuttle and that the costs associated with it will delay the development of the Orion spacecraft and Ares rocket that will replace it.
A few other items in the bill worry the administration, including the additional funding for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems (COTS) program designed to help develop crew transportation. Furthermore, the administration opposes the provisions in the bill that call for continued American involvement with the International Space Station after 2016. The policy statement also raises concerns that the requirement of NASA to initiate discussions with foreign space agencies on certain issues is an infringement on the Executive Branch's authority to conduct foreign affairs.
The policy statement does not directly raise the possibility of a veto (although the Houston Chronicle piece suggests that a veto threat is implied) and expresses a desire to work with Congress to obtain a more satisfactory bill. However, the statement may result in fireworks during the floor debate on the bill, which is expected today.
The Houston Chronicle has run an informative article on the statement.
According to the statement, the primary reason the Bush administration is opposing the bill is because it mandates additional Shuttle flights to the International Space Station, including one to install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The administration is concerned that this will delay the scheduled 2010 retirement of the Shuttle and that the costs associated with it will delay the development of the Orion spacecraft and Ares rocket that will replace it.
A few other items in the bill worry the administration, including the additional funding for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems (COTS) program designed to help develop crew transportation. Furthermore, the administration opposes the provisions in the bill that call for continued American involvement with the International Space Station after 2016. The policy statement also raises concerns that the requirement of NASA to initiate discussions with foreign space agencies on certain issues is an infringement on the Executive Branch's authority to conduct foreign affairs.
The policy statement does not directly raise the possibility of a veto (although the Houston Chronicle piece suggests that a veto threat is implied) and expresses a desire to work with Congress to obtain a more satisfactory bill. However, the statement may result in fireworks during the floor debate on the bill, which is expected today.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
House Committee on Science and Technology Favorably Reports NASA Authorization Bill
Earlier today, the House Committee on Science and Technology favorably reported House Resolution 6063, the NASA Authorization Bill of 2008. This is means that the bill has successfully navigated its way through the second step in the legislative process.
Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) attempted to attach amendments related to energy policy, specifcally the use of "nonconventional oil" resources such as oil shale and tar sands. These were rejected as not germaine to the bill and this ruling was upheld by a largely party-line vote. As far as committee fights go, it was quite tame.
Aside from Gingrey's offered amendments, there was no other discussion and it was voted out unanimously. This is good news, as it indicates that the members of the committee are all behind the bill. The Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration will continue to follow the progress of the bill through the legislative process and readers can check back here for regular updates.
Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) attempted to attach amendments related to energy policy, specifcally the use of "nonconventional oil" resources such as oil shale and tar sands. These were rejected as not germaine to the bill and this ruling was upheld by a largely party-line vote. As far as committee fights go, it was quite tame.
Aside from Gingrey's offered amendments, there was no other discussion and it was voted out unanimously. This is good news, as it indicates that the members of the committee are all behind the bill. The Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration will continue to follow the progress of the bill through the legislative process and readers can check back here for regular updates.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Must-Read Article by Jim Mills of The Hill
Everyone with an interest in promoting the space program should read this article in The Hill by Jim Mills. In it, Mr. Mills describes the lack of awareness of the space program by both our national leadershipand the public at large.
Though he describes himself as a "lifelong, card-carrying space buff," Mr. Mills admits that he was entirely unaware of the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery until he read about it in the newspaper the next day. From this "confessional," he goes on to describe a space program that no longer seems to capture the imagination of the American people, much less the national leadership. Assuredly, there is nowhere near the level of public attention as there was four decades ago, at the height of the Apollo Program.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. So Shakespeare has Cassius say to his partner in assassination. Those of us who wish for a strong American space program and who dream of creating a space-faring civilization would do well to look inward and ask ourselves what we could be doing differently in order to bring the magic and grandeur of the exploration of space back into the hearts of the American people. Clearly, what we have been doing for the past few decades has not been working very well.
In addition to its political activism, the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration is working hard to ensure proper media coverage of the extraordinary events taking place in the field of space exploration. But it is also up to every individual who cares about space exploration to do what they can to spread the word. Unless and until the space program again captures the heart of the American people, all of our dreams will remain just that- dreams.
Though he describes himself as a "lifelong, card-carrying space buff," Mr. Mills admits that he was entirely unaware of the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery until he read about it in the newspaper the next day. From this "confessional," he goes on to describe a space program that no longer seems to capture the imagination of the American people, much less the national leadership. Assuredly, there is nowhere near the level of public attention as there was four decades ago, at the height of the Apollo Program.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. So Shakespeare has Cassius say to his partner in assassination. Those of us who wish for a strong American space program and who dream of creating a space-faring civilization would do well to look inward and ask ourselves what we could be doing differently in order to bring the magic and grandeur of the exploration of space back into the hearts of the American people. Clearly, what we have been doing for the past few decades has not been working very well.
In addition to its political activism, the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration is working hard to ensure proper media coverage of the extraordinary events taking place in the field of space exploration. But it is also up to every individual who cares about space exploration to do what they can to spread the word. Unless and until the space program again captures the heart of the American people, all of our dreams will remain just that- dreams.
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